Month: October 2016

The Saskatchewan government’s recent legislative efforts to define what is – and what is not – “privatization,” has left us all floundering in a game of useless semantics. Does the sale of a 49% stake in a provincial Crown corporation constitute “privatization?” Or is it merely “partial privatization?” Can something…Read more

Twice a year, the federal government updates its books; in March when the budget is released; and again in November, half way through the fiscal year. On this All Hallows Eve, it is a perfect time to recount the (barely) scary stories that will be told tomorrow, and the truly…Read more

A week of pressure from four Belgian regions opposed to CETA, led by the courageous Walloons, has produced a revised “joint interpretive instrument” and, importantly, a new list of conditions that must be met before Belgium can ratify the deal. The instrument, agreed to Thursday and part of a package…Read more

This fall, Canada’s Parliament will debate a recent proposal to expand the Canada Pension Plan (CPP).[1] Indeed, since the 2008-2009 world financial crisis, Canada has witnessed a renewed public debate on the CPP. Two factors have prompted this. First, as a result of the crisis, employer-sponsored pension plans lost substantial value….Read more

While the railway companies and regulators have borne the brunt of criticism for oil train derailments and explosions, oil companies have largely evaded criticism of their responsibility for the highly explosive nature of their product. The U.S. petroleum industry continues to resist efforts to force companies to remove Bakken shale…Read more

This week the City of Toronto has opened the doors to a public consultation about potential regulations for short-term home sharing ventures. Given that Airbnb is the biggest player in this new and emerging segment of the economy, a lot of the focus is on that company and its impact…Read more

Today the regional government of Wallonia in Belgium rebuffed Canada’s last-minute efforts to salvage a deeply flawed and increasingly unpopular transatlantic free trade agreement. By standing firm under incredible pressure (and a considerable amount of bullying), First Minister Paul Magnette gave a voice to millions of citizens who feel the…Read more

The arguments against the elimination of tuition fees are deeply flawed. More to the point, they’re often hilariously dependant on the complete suspension of reality. For example, we’re asked to believe: Debt is bad for governments but builds character for students. “Public” is the same as “free.” The progressive tax…Read more

The crushing of protest and the promotion of corporate power – by instruments such as the proposed Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership – are just two forms of the extreme government intervention required to create a system which claims to be free from government intervention. —George Monbiot. The damaging economic,…Read more

Since greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles have risen more than 33% since 1990, governments’ failure to take action and promote alternatives comes as quite a surprise. In fact, even if they keep on telling us that they want to solve the problem, their policies are often counterproductive. For instance, even…Read more